|
+
Buoyed momentarily by Parity's brilliant use of Suishen, Heng is once again dismayed by the demon's incredible martial style. Heng's yell is unheard as he fails to take advantage of an opening. His back stings from the gaping wound and his head yet rings, but he silently vows to destroy her or be destroyed himself. He follows after to continue assailing her with flaming fists.
+
Didn't work out quite as I intended ...<cough>... let's do this the hard way. Keep calling her out
Parity will slowly pick his way across the battlefield towards her , blood streaming freely from the wounds she just clawed into him. He stumbles once, falling to a knee, and then picks himself back up, gripping Suishen tightly with two hands he swifts a true strike, channels force punch cutting a wide arc and trying to throw her closer to the pit, staggering forward against the force of his own blow so as not to collapse from blood loss.
As he gets close, before his blade strikes, he whispers in Tien through a bloody grimace "Suishen hungers for your heart. You are a dishonor to the legacy of that weapon you carry."
; DC17 or be knocked back 25 feet
Round 3?
Malnival moves forward slashing at the demon.
Attack:
Confirm Crit:
Damage:
Crit Damage:
Fire Damage:
,
Round 4
HP = 82/82
AC/T/FF = 22/14/19 (+2 BoF)(25% ignore sneak/critical)
Weapon Equipped = +1 Light Crossbow
Bolts = 27/35
Speed = 15'
Channel = 1/6 (6d6)
Energy Body = 10/11
Oracle Spells Known (CL 10):
5 2/4 Cure Light Wounds, Mass, Break Enchantment*, Breath of Life*, Wall of Stone
4 0/6 Blessing of Fervor, Cure Critical Wounds*, Restoration*, Air Walk, Holy Smite*
3 1/7 Cure Serious Wounds*, Dispel Magic, Invisibility Purge, Neutralize Poison*, Stone Shape, Magic Circle Against Evil
2 1/7 Aid, Restoration, Lesser*, Resist Energy*, Cure Moderate Wounds*, Shield Other*, Spiritual Weapon, Ghostbane Dirge*
1 2/8 Bless, Detect Evil, Detect Undead, Command*, Cure Light Wounds*, Burning Disarm*, Sun Metal*
0 Stabilize, Purify Food and Drink*, Create Water, Detect Magic, Mending, Guidance, Light, Spark*
* Save DC = 15 + Level
Status Effects = Bless, Haste
Harlan moves through his friends again, continuing the healing.
The halfling then attempts to cast despite being deaf.
Having succeded, he charges a mass cure spell with the last two charges of his crown.
Kiyomi continues to dance inspiringly while sending four arrows at the fiend!
for plus acid damage!
for plus acid damage!
for plus acid damage!
for plus acid damage!
Malnival speeds into melee, slicing a deep wound across the Munasukaru's back. She spins to face the new opponent, until Parity saunters over and slams her with a spell-infused blast. She recoils from the blow but keeps her balance.
Heng leaps in, leading with a flaming fist and slamming the oni's flank. Harlan flits around in his mote form, healing those he touches. Kiyomi fires her bow and hits her target once through the swirling melee.
That last arrow staggers Munasukaru, but still the oni stands. Stubbornly, even bleeding and bruised from a dozen wounds, she leans over to grab the naginata.
Attack:
Confirm Crit:
Damage:
Crit damage:
Heng's strong kick clobbers Munasukaru, flinging her body against the wall like a tattered rag doll. One quick slice, and Malnival's scimitar makes the ending certain.
With a heavy death rattle, the ja noi lies still. As soon as she dies, a heavy pall lifts from the atmosphere. You feel a shudder pass through the complex as the wards of divine balance are finally swept away. Above all, you feel relief that the evil within the House of Withered Blossoms is defeated at last.
|
|
Heng leans over hands upon his knees breathing deeply as the surge of holy vitality fades. Once his ears stop ringing, he turns to the others, "The oni was certainly the most skilled martial artist I have yet faced. I am glad I did not have to face her alone. Should we burn her Earthly form so she cannot restore it?"
"Probably wise," Parity replies to Heng as he stumbles over to a wall and collapses down on the ground, his back leaning up against it. With an exhausted sigh he leans back for a moment.
"Anyone got any booze?"
Malnival points at his ears and shakes his head. "I can not hear you!"
As Munasukaru's corpse is burning, you sense a buzz at the edge of your senses. More than just hearing, you feel a growing surge of energy as something nears. The buzz rises into a tingle and then into a surge of adrenaline. Even so aroused, the feeling is one of benevolence.
From the hallway, a breath of wind becomes a momentary gale that swirls through the sanctum and scatters the oni's ashes to oblivion. The whirlwind reaches a crescendo as it rises then suddenly disperses. Hovering there appears Noburo, the zuishin kami. You can sense other kami moving through the complex above, some visible, many not.
The spirit bows low before you. "You have slain the last oni, and brought great honor to your names, and to the House of Amatatsu."
Harlan turns back into a halfling, slumping to the ground with the tree.
"Can anybody hear? Anybody?"
*********
"There are still many sick and injured here, plus all those hobgoblins. What do we do about them? Are the kami going to clean this place out now? I sure hope Munasukaru was one of the stronger oni, otherwise we may be in trouble."
Kiyomi, her ears still unworking, sees the kami and bows low, her forehead touching the ground.
"What?"
Noburo nods. "This place has become a pit of immense suffering. We will do what we can to heal those imprisoned here and see their safe return to the surface. You will no longer find the hobgoblins and other vermin in residence."
The kami gestures to the hallway. "Down that passage is an old library. We will scour it and the rest of these caverns for clues as to how the Five Storms were able to escape captivity. You are free to assist, but if you wish to return to the surface and rest, we will provide you with anything discovered."
Harlan seems ready to accept the offer of succor, but instead turns to the library.
"Let's see this all the way through."
Saying that he limps down the passage.
"Books, yay," Parity sharks sarcastically as he gets up with a groan.
Calling after Harlan, he follows the halfling, "Let me know if you need any help carrying anything"
Her hearing suddenly returning, Kiyomi stands, but keeps her eyes respectfully downcast. When Harlan heads off, Kiymoi bows deeply and follows.
Past the door at the far end of the corridor, long shelves filled with lore -- carved stone tablets, calligraphic writings on bone and tortoise shell, rice paper journals with bamboo covers, silk scrolls scores of yards long, and hundreds of other tomes, some of huge size -- line the walls. Dust is everywhere, and it's immediately clear the place has been neglected for years. A score of carved figures scowl down on the room from the walls above the shelves. Each of the icons has been defaced, but they are still clearly recognizable as oni.
The wealth of knowledge held here is obvious, but you quickly realize it will take a week or more of solid research to plumb its secrets.
|
|
Heng follows the others to the library, but the rows of books do not inspire him to spend any further time in these delves where he feels so ill at ease. Waving off that he would be of little use here, he checks in on the care of the former prisoners and victims of the oni as he makes his way to the surface.
Malnival smiles as he runs his fingers over the spines of the dust covered books.
"This is the real treasure."
The magus looks through the books.
Harlan will quickly look at the books for anything of interest before turning back.
"We can use the time to heal up. Heng, do you want to give the tree back to the kami? They'll know what to do with it."
He reluctantly hands the bonsai over to Heng.
|
|
"Heng, do you want to give the tree back to the kami? They'll know what to do with it."
"It would be an honor, my friend. I know your work lies with these books. I, like the tree, cannot wait to see the sun again. I will let the Kami know how well you have cared for it."
Heng keeps an eye out for the Tree's Kami as he leaves the Pagoda.
Parity will return to the caravan to check on Ameiko. He will travel up with Heng to deliver the tree first and then press in from there.
Knowing no one in this caravan she's not heard of yet, Kiyomi will head to the library.
Harlan smiles at Heng before returning to his work in the library.
All of the writings held in the library are in Tian characters, some modern, but many ancient and archaic. Still newly learned on the language, Harlan and Malnival can only read slowly. Having Kiyomi there, and with the aid a few kami spirits, progress moves along. At some point, Koya and Ameiko come down to help out as well.
The library makes a strangely comfortable camp, though the balmy temperature in the depths steadily decreases over time, returning to a more natural state.
- The Five Storms, while powerful, are disorganized and easily distracted. The oni who make up the organization are constantly at odds with each other. Yet despite these internal conflicts and disruptions, the leader of the Five Storms has always been the same: a powerful wind yai oni named Anamurumon, with power over storms and lightning.
- The Five Storms, long trapped in their prison-palace, have always lusted over the lands of Minkai, intending to remake that nation into an empire of excess and horror in which to indulge their twisted pleasures and appetites.
- The Five Storms cannot simply conquer Minkai. Just like the kami, the gods set strict laws in place to prevent the oni from taking direct action to seize worldly power. In order to create their private empire, the oni need to do so subtly, infiltrating all levels of society.
- The linchpin of the Five Storms' plan is the extinction of the five imperial families of Minkai. If no one can claim descent from the divine line of emperors, then on one can challenge the claim of the pretender the Five Storms place on the throne.
- Many different varieties of oni make up the Five Storms, but all of their best warriors escaped the House of Withered Blossoms many decades ago, taking most of their resources with them.
- Munasukaru was one of the weakest oni, known as 'the Least' among her peers. To keep the kami in the forest outside from learning their plans, Anamurumon commanded her to stay in the House while the other oni fled using the kimon, a magical demon gate powered by living souls.
- While the oni are powerful, Anamurumon also commands mortal agents. The oni often promise mortals great rewards for their service, and the Five Storms are well known to honor these promises.
- Beyond relying on hired agents, Anamurumon was also obsessed with siring half-human progeny. He needed the 'perfect' grandchild -- a tiefling who would not only be unquestioningly loyal to Anamurumon, but could also pass as a human. Such a child would be the perfect agent to infiltrate the imperial families of Minkai -- but all of Anamurumon's descendants were deemed 'unsuitable' and killed by the oni lord.
- Despite his power, Anamurumon has an unusual weakness to weapons imbued with royal honor, such as the ancestral weapons of the five imperial families.
***
As told by Noburo, all of the remaining hobgoblins in the depths have been run off or exterminated, making for an unimpeded exit. Their stink still pervades in the great cavern, however... a blight that will take many years to disperse.
Sunlight greets you as you emerge into the gardens. Without the magical wards in place to suspend the gardens in unnatural warmth, the chill winds of winter are already blowing through. You realize the overgrown plants and bloated growths will not survive long and things here will slowly revert to normal.
Possibly the happiest sight is that of the rescued prisoners finally realizing their freedom. Twenty-seven in all, the men and women celebrate, some sobbing in joy, others falling to their knees in thanks. A few remain too shocked to react. One man stands staring blankly ahead, but tears stream down his face.
Miyaro is the first to greet you on the surface, happily guiding you back to the glade where the caravan and your friends await. She gives Kiyomi a curious glance, but remains silent and leaves the tale for you to tell.
The caravan remains much as you left it. Ameiko, Koya, Shalelu, and Sandru all come out quickly to meet you with smiles, warm hugs and sighs of relief.
As the round of hugs and reunion winds down, Ameiko wipes her eyes and says with a grin (in Taldan), "I know it's only been a few days, but it seems like as many months since you left. I'm sure the tale is a long one, and can wait for dinner. It seems you found some friends in there... who's the pretty one?"
She quickly recoils from her own words, palming her forehead and shaking her head. In Tien, she adds while bowing to Kiyomi. "I appologize for my crudeness. You are most welcome here. My name is Kaijitsu Ameiko."
Kiyomi bows deeply to Ameiko, deeper than she really ought to. In Tien she says "I am honored, Kaijitsu Ameiko. I am Kiyomi Matsumata, humble singer and dancer. I was a prisoner of the foul creatures within, and your comrades were kind enough to rescue me. I have offered my services to them, and I offer them to you as well, honored friend of friends."
"Our new friend, the bard-archer. Pretty handy in a tight spot, no? Are we going to let her in to the circle of trust or should we leave that decision to Ameiko?"
Parity listens to the recap of research and makes a couple comments along the way.
"Truly extinct then, so .. ahem ... all the houses are gone? No descendants of any of them in Minkai? Looks like we'll be keeping this naginata ... someone wanna learn how to use it. I suppose after we kill the oni, we should still keep it for ... um ... future royal investment? Seems wrong to try and sell it then."
"Any chance this Jade Regent is the successful progeny of the wind oni leader?"
"Anyone know where this prison-palace is? Kiyomi?"
"Ame ... a gruesome place down there. It's a welcome relief to hear your voice and smell your hair again. I am truly starting to feel the fatigue of this endeavor." Parity sighs and arches his back, rubbing the lower part for a moment, before he continues.
"We found one of Suishen's "brothers" if you will ... in the hands of one of the 5 storms oni. It seems they have truly enacted their promise to purge the royal families. Seems like an immense loss to me ... more so then so many other things we've encountered, but I'm not sure why. We haven't done anything with the weapon, but if it's anything like Suishen, I thought maybe ... you, should talk with it?"
Ameiko smiles at Kiyomi, if marred for a moment at the mention of 'singer and dancer'. "If they vouch for your trust and integrity, then I will do the same." She glances to the others for affirmation.
She gestures to the caravan, a collection of Varisian wagons and crew, in good shape but noticeably weathered by travel. "As you can see, we have come a long way to get here. I'm sure you have many questions..."
Do I know where the prison palace is?
She straightens, but remains deferential. "They are good people, and I believe you will find them trustworthy. My humble story is a long, winding tale, but in short, I came to serve the kami spirits of this forest. I was sent to intercept them and bring them here, or to guide them the rest of the way to Minkai." She hesitates a moment. "Their story is their own to tell, but I think you will learn that soon enough."
"As for your own secret, that too I will keep discreet until you wish to reveal it."
Let me rephrase the question. Any indication where they went then? Do we know why they were able to escape?